Love, Always
by reveur-de-minuit
Summary: "When she met him, he set her soul free, cutting loose the ties that once had her bound. His words whispered against the pages of her skin, staining her soul with the ink of his meaning. He took her world, in which she was the creator, the ruler, and ripped it violently apart. It was then, that she knew that she wasn't a master, a ruler, but a slave." DMHG


_"The most powerful weapon on earth, is the human soul on fire." - Ferdinand Foch_

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**Love, Always**

They were walking along the boardwalk; fingers lazily entwined, palms pressed together, heartbeats perfectly in sync. The air was chill given it was a summer night, and Hermione Granger played with the hem of his hoodie, eyeing the platinum band around her ring finger in adoration. His hoodie was a warm cocoon around her shoulders, grounding her down to Earth, allowing her to savour each and every single moment that passed by. She surrounded herself with his scent, loving the cologne he wore. She looked up at him, unaware of the smile that was stretched across her lips. Her heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with him. It had been twenty-five years, and Draco Malfoy was still able to make her feel as in love as when she first met him.

He was her rock. Her savior. The one constant in a life that was ever-changing.

To her, he still looked every bit as youthful as the night they first met. His smirk was just as sexy, his style just as fashion-forward, his eyes just as vibrant. She didn't count her school days in her memory of him. She preferred to block those out, focussing instead on the changed man he'd become. He became a man of good, and light. They re-met in an elevator on the way to a Ministry Event, the enclosed quarters and their changed souls allowing fate to intervene.

Heat radiated off of his taller body, and she inched towards him. She wasn't cold-his hoodie gave her enough warmth-she just loved being entirely encompassed by his presence. She loved knowing that even in heels, she only went barely past his chin. She loved knowing that his arms were always there to hold her, to make her feel safe and loved.

If she was scared, he was there by her side. If she cried, he held her,and made her laugh and smile. If she felt lonely, he stayed with her until all feelings subsided. If she was angry, he would listen. If she felt hopeless, he was there to help her get back on track.

They stopped walking, too lost in one another to perform even basic motor functions.

Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at her husband. She had known from the moment she saw him that she was irrevocably his. That feeling had yet to change. She doubted it ever would.

Before he came into her life, she was merely existing. She had thought she had experienced life, she thought she was living to its fullest. It was only when she met him that she realized how wrong she was. It was like taking her first breath of air. Like opening her eyes from what she thought was eternal rest. In him, she found that life had so much more to offer than simply existing.

She had always told herself that she was an independent woman. One who could rule if ever necessary. But in her independence, she loved less. Was more austere. He was the first person to make her feel an inner warmth from the depths of her soul that radiated outwards, as bright and beautiful as the sun.

It was then, that she knew that she wasn't a master, a ruler, but a slave. A slave to every sensory feeling that he alone could instill within her. She was a slave to his image, his smell, his touch. She craved him with a ferocity she didn't know could exist. There was this deep-rooted hunger, a thirst, an obsession, that made her entirely his. And she was sure with every inch of her body, that there was no satiation to this craving or hunger or thirst. That even if she were to convince herself she had her fill, there would always be this insatiable need to be by his side, always there to absorb the sensation that was purely him.

Passion came first, intimacy second. She wasn't thinking the rather obvious definition of intimacy and what it referred to. No. This intimacy was much deeper and pulled the heart further and further to the core of the feeling. Their intimacy was based on the shared vulnerability they endured. To her, nothing deepened the intimacy than going through all of life's hardest experiences, and sharing a part of yourself that you're terrified to show, only to come out on top together. He was there with her, willing to accept the part of herself that she didn't want to acknowledge, and he held onto her vulnerability with a fragile tenderness that still deepened her love for him. He was still there, still with her, ready to fight all battles by her side. And she was more than willing to do the same for him.

She had once told herself that she knew every single characteristic and attribute to her future husband. But when she met him, he set her soul free, cutting loose the ties that once had her bound. She had no idea just how much she needed it, needed him. There was a beauty, a sensuality, in knowing just how much she needed him by her side. She wasn't dependent on him financially, or in that sense of the word. She was still an independent woman. But her reliance was much deeper and she didn't even know it was there until she acknowledged it for the first time.

She learned one of life's greatest lessons in knowing him; that a person didn't have to be perfect to be exactly what you need.

He reminded her of a poem she once read and dreamed about. His words whispered against the pages of her skin, staining her soul with the ink of his meaning. She couldn't unlove him, and she didn't want to. It seemed as though no matter how long it had been, every time she looked at him, it got harder to breathe. Every time he walked into a room, smiling at her, she felt her knees weaken. Her heart still pounded to an exotic rhythm that became faster and faster with every glance filled with adoration and love.

She used to panic, wondering how she could ever love him enough. She didn't know how she could love him the way that he loved her. She still didn't. But there was an unspoken agreement, an unvoiced statement that hung in the air, reminding her that whatever thoughts and feelings she had, he reciprocated.

His understanding of her was one of the things that terrified her the most. She had abhorred and craved an understanding such as the one he gave her. She had such a fear of finding someone who could understand her so completely, yet such a desire at the same time. She was so lonely before him, yet she was scared that he would interrupt her isolation. She could no longer live her life as she thought she could. He took her world, in which she was the creator, the ruler, and ripped it violently apart. So scared of his true understanding of her, that she stepped aside and allowed him to rule her kingdom by her side.

Draco Malfoy would have her heart, her mind, her soul, and her love, always.

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_I hope you enjoyed! Reviews make me very happy. This is also an entry for The Greenhouses Competition held by Slytherin Cat. _


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